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Program description

A program leading to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with special emphasis in information technology and international business is offered by the School of Business Administration. It is designed to educate students for managerial roles in private, public, or not-for-profit sectors of the economy.

The MBA program is designed for undergraduate majors from any discipline, including business or management. It is preferred that students with an undergraduate degree in business or one of the functional areas of management have two years of work experience before entering the MBA program. A typical entering class may consist of undergraduate majors from engineering, the natural sciences, the social sciences, computer science, mathematics, business, health care, education and the humanities.

The program is based on the belief that an education in management should:

Prepare students for careers involving problem identification, problem solving, decision making and leadership in any type of organization

Emphasize the determination of goals and the effective utilization of scarce resources

Help students understand and effectively interact with the emerging workplace issues of globalization and diversity

Assist students in understanding the effects of, and successfully deal with, the changing social, legal, ethical and technological environments of the organization

Stress understanding of human behavior and the organizational setting, for much of management relates to people - understanding them, communicating with them, working with them, and leading them

Stress the importance of the management of information technology resources in the successful operation of an organization.

Students in the MBA program may choose to focus their elective work in one of the ten areas of concentration offered at Oakland University or select to choose from a variety of elective courses for more general study. Currently, the MBA program at Oakland University has areas of concentration in accounting, business economics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources management, international business, management information systems, marketing, and production/operations management and supply chain management.

Program delivery

Courses are offered Monday through Thursday evenings and some Saturday mornings at the main campus in Rochester.

Length of program

The length of the MBA program varies from 36 to 48 credits (not including prerequisites), depending on the student’s prior preparation.

Full-time students normally take 9 credits (three courses) in each of the fall and winter semesters and 6 credits (two courses) in the summer semester. The full-time student can finish the complete 48-credit program in less than two years. Students with sufficient background in business courses may be able to complete the minimum 36-credit MBA program in 16 months of full-time study.

Part-time students taking six courses per year can finish the complete 48-credit program in two and two-thirds calendar years (32 months) in a year-round program.

Satisfactory progress

The MBA program must be completed within six years from the date of entry into the program. The scheduling of MBA classes is based on the assumption that students will be enrolled in a standard part-time program: six courses per year (two courses in each of the 15-week fall, winter and summer semesters).

In accordance with university regulations, all course credits used to meet requirements of the MBA program must be earned within six years of the date that the MBA is awarded.

Application terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

February 15 (early), April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester

Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The GMAT or GRE scores must be five years or less at the time of the applicant’s intended enrollment at Oakland University.

Applicants applying to one of the graduate programs may request a waiver of the GMAT or GRE requirement if they meet one of the following criteria.

Applicant has earned a master’s degree (or higher) from a U.S. institution.

Applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree within the last five (5) years of the expected date of enrollment with an overall GPA of a least 3.5 from an AACSB accredited business school.

Applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree from the Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science within the last five (5) years of the expected date of enrollment with an overall GPA of at least 3.5.

To request a waiver, applicants must submit a Request to Waive GMAT form to Graduate Admissions as part of the application packet. The request for waiver is subject to the approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to the Master of Business Administration degree program is selective and depends on several elements, including scholarship and an ability to communicate effectively. In making admission recommendations, the admission committee assesses the potential of applicants for success in the MBA program by examining their undergraduate records, their GMAT or GRE scores, their responses to questions on the supplemental application, their work experience, and their recommendation forms.

Related links

MBA foundation requirements

Students admitted to the Master of Business Administration program must demonstrate proficiency or complete coursework in the following areas:

A college course in principles of microeconomics and a college course in principles of macroeconomics. Students without any college course in economics or with only one principles-level economics course may take ECN 5010 (Introduction to Economics) to meet the requirement.

A college course in financial accounting

A recent college algebra course or mathematics at a higher level

A college course in calculus or a continuing education course in quantitative methods which included basic calculus

These requirements must be completed prior to beginning MBA coursework.

Degree requirements

The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 36-48 credits in an approved program of study.

The MBA program consists of four parts: the foundation requirements, the core program, the integrative business policy course (MGT 535) and a set of at least five electives. Each part of the program is detailed below.

Core course exemptions

Students may be exempted from some of the core courses if the applicant passed an equivalent undergraduate course with a grade of 2.0 (C) or above within the previous seven years and the student is current in the subject matter. Exemption from a core course may reduce the total credit requirement for the MBA. Students exempted from some or all the core courses will be required to take a minimum program of 36 MBA credits. As part of his or her program, the MBA student must take at least one graduate level course in each of the functional areas (i.e., at least one graduate course in ACC, FIN, MKT, and POM/QMM) either as one of the five MBA electives or in addition to these electives. Exemptions from core courses are determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs after an evaluation of the student’s transcript. A student will be allowed to take a core course from which he/she had been exempted only with prior written approval from the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Repeating waived courses may increase a student’s MBA program beyond the minimum of 36 credits.

b. Electives

MBA candidates complete their program by selecting a minimum of 15 credits of MBA electives. Of these, one course must be an information technology elective and one must be an international business elective. The remaining 9 credits may be drawn from MBA elective courses offered by the School of Business Administration or from approved courses offered by other units of Oakland University. MBA electives are numbered 5000 and above for accounting and MIS electives and 6000 and above for all other areas.

c. Concentrations

If MBA students want a more structured set of electives, they can take one of the MBA concentrations. A maximum of two concentrations can be noted on their transcripts. The MBA concentrations consist of the electives structured as noted under each MBA concentration listed below. A single class may not be counted toward more than one concentration. All courses are 3 credits, unless otherwise noted.

1. Accounting concentration

To provide more background in accounting, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in accounting. Many of the courses listed below require additional prerequisites. Students must provide proof of completion of prerequisites to the Faculty Coordinator of the MAcc program before an override will be processed.

4. Entrepreneurship concentration

To provide more background in the strategic aspects of entrepreneurship, startups and small businesses, the student would be required to complete the following program for a concentration in entrepreneurship:

11. Supply Chain Management concentration

To provide more background in supply chain management, the student would be required to complete three electives from the following list for a concentration in supply chain management. POM 642 will be required for all students who do not have previous coursework in supply chain management.

d. Exit (integrative business policy course)

The integrative business policy course, MGT 535, draws on all the coursework in the core of the MBA program in the analysis of real world cases in a team setting. MGT 535 is required of all MBA candidates.

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship

Receiving a fellowship or scholarship

Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree

Going on a leave of absence

Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.